Here’s the link:
http://www.ibiblio.org/carrborocitizen/print/citizen051310.pdf
Sweet Caroline, indeed. . .
Year: 2010

Just a few reasons to get out of your house and into the mix.
Tues – 5/11
- Jessica Lea Mayfield / The Futurebirds @ Local 506 – $10
- Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings / Fitz & The Tantrums @ Cat’s Cradle – $25 (SOLD OUT– but worth the try)
- Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band / Dawn Landes @ Carolina Theatre – $25/20
- OK Go / Earl Greyhound / Robert Francis @ Lincoln Theatre – $15
Wed – 5/12
- Dexter Romweber @ The Cave – $5
- Caribou / Toro y Moi @ Cat’s Cradle – $12 adv/ $15 day of the show
Thurs – 5/13
- Sinful Savage Tigers / Charlie Horse @ The Cave – $5
- Little Feat / Swagger @ Lincoln Theatre – $24 adv / $28 day of the show
- Bowerbirds @ Artspace – $10 members/ $15 general public
- Red Collar / Red City Radio / The Anchor @ Broad Street Cafe – $
Fri – 5/14
- Phil Wiggins & Corey Harris @ Fletcher Theatre – $
- Fan Tan EP Release Party with Free Electric State / Citified @ Local 506 – $8
- Chill Thrill!: MC Bingo Blower / Max Legroom / Workday/Schoolnight /DJ Yes! Sputnik @ The Nightlight – $TBA
Sat – 5/15
- Lost in the Trees / Old Bricks / The Strugglers @ Cat’s Cradle – $10
- Carrboro / Chapel Hill Home Brew Fest (early) @ The Nightlight – $10 suggested donations (fundraiser to fight MS)
- Caltrop / Pontiak / Arbouretum @ The Nightlight – $7
- “Gold Leggings on a Motel Floor” Equality Now Dance Party @ The Pinhook – $5
- Richard Bacchus and the Luckiest Girls / Rat Jackson / The Campaign 1984 @ Slim’s Downtown – $TBA
Sun – 5/16
- Everybody was in the French Resistance… Now / Jews and Catholics @ Local 506 – $8 adv / $10 at the door
Know of a great show or venue we should add to the list? Don’t keep it a secret. Share in the comment section and hopefully we’ll see you there.

They’ve known each other since elementary school, played together since middle. But after playing every talent show and garage that would let their high school band make a racket, Duncan Webster, Jeff Stickley and Joe Hall parted ways and set off in wildly different directions. Stickley wound up at ECU playing bluegrass. Hall rambled down to Brazil and picked up some new riffs. Webster did that New York dance where you fall in love, start a band, and then lose both. Somehow, after a little time tilting at windmills, the guys all ended up back in Durham. The adventures had taken them down wildly different paths, but all roads led home and to making music together once again.
Playing as Hammer No More the Fingers, Webster, Stickley and Hall have toured relentlessly, spreading their own spin on ‘90s college rock to anyone who’ll listen. Their sound is a throwback to those grunge inspired indies of old without sounding kitschy or too nostalgic. Coalescing idiosyncratic riffs and thumping bass lines with Stickley’s tempestuous drumming and Webster’s mundane, Hammer No More the Fingers bang out songs as interesting musically, as they are affecting lyrically. “Don’t know how hard it’s been, living without a friend, in the center of the world,†Webster sings on “Shutterbug†off their record, Looking for Bruce, but given the way these guys play, it’s not a feeling any of them will know for long.
And now just five tough as nails questions for Duncan to hammer down:
1. If your band were a cartoon character, who/what would it be?
ProStars—the Saturday morning cartoon starring Bo Jackson, Wayne Gretzky, and Michael Jordan. For obvious reasons. That, or the cast of Mulan II.
2. What instigated the choice of band name?
Every band name we were coming up with was terrible or was already in use: Vaudevillain, Wolf Laser, Korn, The Monkees. We just got tired of coming up with dumb band names. So we decided to keep the latest and dumbest that we had.
3. Describe the writing process for “Fall Down, Play Dead”
That’s one of the oldest songs we have. It started off as a riff that we played in a prior band called “Dead by Dawn” back in high school. All our songs were based on the Evil Dead trilogy. Pretty rad stuff. That was one of the riffs that stayed with us. We just kept tinkering with the chord progression until it morphed into what it is now. The lyrics are about a story I heard on NPR one day.
4. Who/what might be a few early inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?
Biz Markie is one of my favorite lyric writers of all time. Every song of his is about a different, whacked out subject. He raps about being a dude and doing dude stuff. Very down to earth, and yet weird and hilarious. We used to cover “Alone Again” from the album I Need a Haircut. Great song.Phish, Outkast, bluegrass, My Morning Jacket, Ween, and a lot of Brazilian music have a big influence on the Hammer. As do a lot of books we read, stories we hear, people we meet, and strange towns that we play.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How’d that turn out?)
We’re all 26 now, and have known each other and been playing music together since we were kids. Like 9 or 10 years old. This is pretty much an extension of that. Definitely on a smaller scale than Nirvana, because Nirvana is all I cared about as a kid. We couldn’t be more psyched about playing in a band, though. It’s more fun these days than ever before.
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Keep up with Hammer No More the Fingers touring schedule and other updates here, here, or here. And check back next week to see who else will take up the challenge of facing down the five. Oh and by all means, give Duncan and the rest of the Hammers a high five when you see them!
Here’s the link:
http://www.ibiblio.org/carrborocitizen/print/citizen050610.pdf
and as always, shop with Citizen advertisers. (but watch out for that banana peel. . .)

Get up. Get out. Let us know how it was.
Tues – 5/4
- Local Natives / Suckers @ Local 506 – $9 adv / $11 at the door
- Future Islands / Lonnie Walker / Lower Dens @ Berkeley Café – $TBA
Wed – 5/5
- The Album Leaf / Sea Wolf @ Cat’s Cradle – $12 adv / $14 day of the show
- Giant Cloud / Floating Action @ The Cave – $5
- Triangle Jazz Orchestra @ The ArtsCenter in Carrboro – $FREE!
Thurs – 5/6
- Physics of Meaning / The Big Picture / Josh Mease @ The Nightlight – $TBA
- Holy Ghost Tent Revival / Paleface @ Local 506 – $8
Fri – 5/7
- Megafaun / Mount Moriah / The Great White Jenkins @ Cat’s Cradle – $10
- WXDU End of the Year Dance Party @ The Pinhook – $5
- I Was Totally Destroying It / Sugar Glyder / Bustello @ Local 506 – $5
- Gray Young / Citified / Embarrassing Fruits @ Slim’s Downtown – $TBA
Sat – 5/8
- The Moaners / Spider Bags @ The Nightlight – Also, taping for the upcoming documentary 40 Nights of Rock’n’Roll. $FREE!
- Steep Canyon Rangers / Big Fat Gap @ Cat’s Cradle – $12
- Mosadi Music / Humble Tripe / Physics of Meaning @ The Pinhook – $5
Anywhere else?
Bela Fleck at Shakori Hills
Video of a hot finish just before the rain came. . .
Storm cells soon
Been a dismal Spring for rain so far, but that’s changing today with a fairly heavy set of storms moving through.


There’s a song called “The Dash” that Andrew Marlin wrote way back when he was first sticking his toe in the water of folk music. It’s a few simple chords, a few symbol-laden verses, and a refrain that cuts. “If you aim to throw bullets, shoot me fast, my love, not slow,” he sings. It’s a cruel to be kind sentiment, in a song about the brevity of life and love. When Marlin met Emily Frantz, however, instead of facing down a girl with a metaphorical gun, he found one with a guitar, a fiddle and a knack for harmony.
Since that chance meeting, Marlin and Frantz have honed their picking and playing skills together, performing out as Mandolin Orange. Pairing some combination of guitar, fiddle, and mandolin, the two craft tempered, stripped-down country duets that drift somewhere in the ether between Gillian Welch and Nickel Creek. Their music blends contemporary influences with the vibe of old-time, imbuing vintage aesthetics with shrewd songwriting. It’s a magnetic combination, and you can hear it live as this Saturday, May 1st, when the duo celebrates the release of their newest record Quiet Little Room at the Local 506 along with Ryan Gustafson and Big Fat Gap.
Now just a few hard hitting questions for the kids in the quiet room:
1. If your band were a vegetable, what would it be?
ANDREW: Is an orange a vegetable?
EMILY: A sweet potato. Because it’s my favorite NC veggie and it happens to be orange.
2. When was the moment you realized there was something to this musical partnership that needed to be shared?
ANDREW: From the very start it seemed to just make sense. Emily and I fulfill very different roles that fit so easily together—at first it felt more like the musical partnership was sharing itself with us.
EMILY: Immediately. The first week we knew each other we played non-stop. We bailed on all our commitments (class, work) day after day—we just couldn’t tear ourselves away.
3. Describe your writing process.
ANDREW: Initially, an idea just kind of appears during a random shot at writing. Usually the overall concept of a tune isn’t clear to me until I’m finished with it. When the rough version is done, we arrange it together.
EMILY: The writing process starts with Andrew, and mostly stays there. Over the past year, I’ve started offering my opinion and enthusiasm for different lines or melodies as he writes. I aim for harmony parts that compliment the style or emotion of the tune, and do the same with my fiddle parts. Each song goes through all kinds of instrumental arrangements (between 2 guitars, fiddle and mandolin) since we can only choose the most fitting pair for a given song.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?
ANDREW: A lot of my songwriting influences comes from the interactions and conversations I have everyday. As far as musical influences, The Books have a very spatial sound compared to us but they’ve long been one of my favorite groups.
EMILY: I have a hard time differentiating between my influences and the people I just listen to. For example, My Morning Jacket is one of my favorites, especially in the car. When creating my own music, I obviously don’t go for that exact sound, but I’d guess it’s in there somewhere.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How ’d that turn out?)
ANDREW: A cowboy. I’m no horseman but I get to sing and play folk music… close enough.
EMILY: Can’t remember. I think it had to do with being the Little Mermaid and being able to sing underwater and swim at the same time. The singing part is working out so far!
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Check back next week to see who else will take up the challenge of facing down the five. Be sure to join Mandolin Orange this Saturday night at the Local 506 (or sometime soon on their upcoming tour) and, by all means, give Andrew and Emily a high five when you see them!
Hera are the links:
Main Section:
http://www.ibiblio.org/carrborocitizen/print/citizen042910.pdf
Mill:
http://www.ibiblio.org/carrborocitizen/print/printedmill/mill0510.pdf

It’s the week for CD release shows and tough decisions–except for Tuesday, that’s a crazy easy choice to make. And if you dare venture a few miles down the road, Merlefest kicks off this Thursday, promising to be a weekend of musical mayhem. See you out there!
Mon – 4/26
- The Tallest Man on Earth @ UNC’s Gerrard Hall – $1 for UNC students / $5 General Public
Tues – 4/27
- Gillian Welch @ Cat’s Cradle – aka OHMYGODYESTHANKYOULORD $25
- Zeke Graves & Pals / Cellar Seas @ Local 506 – $FREE!
- Bess Rogers / Justin Robinson & The Marionettes / Lelia Broussard @ The Pinhook – $5
- Juan Huevos / Bermuda Triangles / Dunbar & Santiago @ The Nightlight – $tba
Wed – 4/28
- International Noise Conference @ The Nightlight – $FREE (but donations for the traveling bands would be much appreciated)
- Lizzy Ross & The Little Bear that Barks / Jason Kutchma / Group Mentality @ Local 506 – $6
- Clipse & Friends present the Fam-Base Tour @ Cat’s Cradle – $18 adv / $20 day of the show
- St. Vincent / The Love Language @ UNC Memorial Hall – $FREE for UNC Students / $15 General Public
Thurs – 4/29
- Graveyard Fields CD Release Show with Evil Weiner / Puritan Radio @ Local 506 – $8
- The Toddlers / Skylar / Royal Forest @ The Pinhook – $5
Fri – 4/30
- Kaki King / An Horse @ Cat’s Cradle – $15
- My Morning Jacket with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ Koka Booth Amphitheater – $35 adv / $40 day of the show
- Hammer No More The Fingers / The Demon Beat / Lille Bronze @ Local 506 – $8
Sat – 5/1
- Mandolin Orange CD Release Show with Big Fat Gap / Ryan Gustafson @ Local 506 – $7 adv / $8 at the door
- Nightlight Spring Craft Arts and Crafts Fair (early! 11-5) @ The Nightlight – $FREE
- The New Town Drunks / The Pneurotics @ The Cave – $5
- Beach House / Washed Out @ Cat’s Cradle – $12 adv / $14 day of the show
- American Aquarium CD Release Party with Sons of Bill / Jamie McLean Band @ The Pour House – $8 adv / $10 at the door
- Carrie Newcomer @ The ArtsCener in Carrboro – $17
- Bright Young Things / Austin Collins @ Slim’s Downtown – $tba
Anywhere else?

It’s hard enough playing music in front of people without having to wonder if they understand a single word you’re saying—but don’t bother explaining that little quandary to Django Haskins. Adventuring after graduating from college, this Florida-native found himself cutting teeth as a songwriter playing shows in Hangzhou, China and that feeling of being lost in translation was all too immediate. With words suddenly so insignificant, melody and rhythm and tone and instrumentation became the most important expressions. It was an accidental lesson, but an important one. He went over a songwriter; he left a budding arranger.
It’s been several years since Haskins’ Chinese escapades, but any passing listen to the complex and textured aural landscape of The Old Ceremony intimates how important that translation-gap was to his musical mindset. As figurehead and lead songwriter of The Old Ceremony, Haskins, along with bassist Matt Brandau, drummer Dan Hall, vibes/organist Mark Simonsen, and violinist/keyboardist Gabriele Pelli, conjures music that hinges on some pop-noir aesthetic. It bleeds jazz affectations into atmospheric Brit invasion inspired expanses. The deliberate theatrics of their arrangements pair with murky, affecting lyrics and undeniable hooks. It’s a precarious balance that perhaps inspired the name of their most recent album, Walk on Thin Air, and you can watch them tiptoe that line this Friday, April 23rd, at the Cat’s Cradle, where they’ll be joined by Benji Hughes.
Now just the new ritual questions for ye old ceremonial leader:
1. If your band were a member of New Kids on the Block, who would it be?
Well, we all like to hope that never happens, but if we had to be a member of NKoTB in order to save the lives of terminally-ill orphans on the Titanic, we’d be Mark Wahlberg because he’s the one who erased his New Kids past most effectively. Plus he got to deck Matt Damon in The Departed.
[editor’s note 1: The editor would like to point out that she thought everybody knew that Donnie was a New Kid and Mark was the leader of the Funky Bunch. “Come on, come on! Feel it! Feel it!” The editor wonders if maybe this is just a ruse so that Mr. Haskins does not have to admit having a NKOTB poster above his bed…]
[editor’s note 2: After pointing out the common knowledge of “note 1” to Mr. Haskins, he replied with reference to Mark Wahlberg’s wikipedia page which clarifies that although later replaced by Joey, “Mark, at age thirteen, had been one of the group’s original members.” Mr. Haskins did not, however, make any clarification on the existence of said NKOTB poster above his bed.]
2. What do you want this band to be when it grows up?
Asking a musician what he wants to be when he grows up is like asking Yul Brynner what kind of shampoo he favors; there’s an assumption that musicians intend to grow up at all. To answer your question, we wanna be a firefighter.
3. Describe your feelings about Montreal and Philadelphia cream cheese.
Well, the Montreal Cream Cheese Fiasco is part of a larger, sadder tale, but the short version is that I like Philadelphia cream cheese. When we were last in Montreal, I got a half-dozen Montreal bagels (which are incredible) and a tub of Philly cream cheese to take along on the next leg of the tour. But the Quebecois hold a long-standing disdain for anything other than local cream cheese, so when they smashed the window of our van, stole my laptop and iPod, along with my bag of bagels, they purposefully left the Philly cream cheese (they had to actually remove it from the bag they took) as a silent comment. It’s not every day that a felon also criticizes your dairy choices.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?
I don’t know if it’s surprising, but I’ve been listening to Fela Kuti, Sun Kil Moon, Serge Gainsbourg, XTC’s English Settlement, Indian classical music, the Pogues, and Paul Simon’s first solo record a lot lately.
Barton Fink also rolls around my mind a lot, especially the scene where Jack Lipnik, the studio head, tears into Barton for making his wrestling screenplay too “fruity.†“Nobody wants to watch a movie about a guy wrestling with his soul! I mean, sure a little bit for the critics. But you’re making it the carrot that wags the horse!…We’re talking about men. In tights. Both literally and figuratively!†Not sure how that influence works its way in to TOC songs, but I’m sure it does somehow.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How’d that turn out?)
I dreamed of being taller, since I was five-five until about eleventh grade. It’s turned out okay, though I doubt I’m going to get any taller now.
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Check back for more high fives and head out to Cat’s Cradle this Friday to hear The Old Ceremony throw it down. And by all means, be sure to give Django a high five when you see him!